Wednesday, January 21, 2026- Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro says in his forthcoming memoir that during the 2024 vice‑presidential vetting process with then‑Vice President Kamala Harris’s team, he was asked whether he had ever been an “agent of the Israeli government.” Shapiro, a leading Democrat and one of the final contenders to be Harris’s running mate, described the line of questioning as offensive and surprising, especially given the unusual nature of the question in a political vetting context. The governor, who is Jewish, said the question was posed by a senior member of the vetting team, Dana Remus, a former White House counsel.
In his book Where We Keep the Light, Shapiro recounts that after he expressed discomfort, Remus responded that they “had to ask” the question, and then followed up by asking whether he had ever communicated with an undercover agent of Israel — a point he replied to with incredulity. Shapiro wrote that, while the overall vetting was “professional and businesslike,” the heavy focus on his ties to Israel and how the questions were framed left him unsettled. He said it made him wonder whether the intense scrutiny was because he was the only Jewish candidate in the final slate or related to broader intra‑party debate over U.S. policy on Israel.
Shapiro ultimately was passed over as Harris’s running mate, with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz chosen instead, and the ticket went on to lose the 2024 election. The memoir also reflects broader tensions between Shapiro and Harris that have surfaced in public accounts from both camps, including disagreements about his suitability for a subordinate role and contrasting recollections of vetting dynamics. As Shapiro positions himself as a contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, these revelations add another layer to ongoing discussions about candidate vetting, identity, and politics within the party.
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